The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an apparatus that allows on-line turbine hot gas path deposits to be removed from a hot fluid path of a system in fired operation using high-pressure pulses generated from pulsed detonation.
Many developments have been made on detonation wave-based soot blowing equipment to dislodge soot and ash build up from large-scale steam boilers fired on coal and other ash-bearing fuels. Gas turbines fired on heavy liquids will also experience contamination of the hot gas path with soot and ash deposits that must be removed on a regular basis via off-line water wash. The time required for the turbine to cool down prior to water and solvent injection, and to perform the off-line wash limits availability of these gas turbines fired on heavy fuel oil (HFO).
Industrial gas turbines fired on crude oil, heavy fuel oil, or other ash-bearing fuels must mix magnesium oxide (MgO) or another compound in the fuel as a vanadium getter to avoid hot corrosion of the hot gas path. MgO and other compounds, and inerts (silica) in these fuels produce slag and ash deposits on the hot gas path. If these deposits are not removed frequently, the aerodynamics of the turbine changes enough to render the system inoperable; it literally becomes clogged with deposits. The current practice is to use off-line water-wash, as frequently as daily or at least weekly, to remove deposits. The turbine must be taken off-line, cooled down significantly to near ambient temperature to avoid thermally shocking the metallic parts with water, and then water-washed with water and a solvent. Nutshells and other relatively frangible items can be injected into the system pneumatically while the rotor is fast-cranked to further blast off the hot gas parts (HGP) deposits.
Accordingly, it is desirable to remove ash deposits from a fluid path of a system while the system is in fired operation. It is further desirable to be able to remove ash deposits from a fluid path of a system while the system is operating at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure without the need of water or solvent.